Clock-controlled switch.



A. K. WHITE.

CLOCK CONTROLLED SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1910.

1,012,490. Patented Dec.19,1911.

a SHEBTSSHEET 1f I W J ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLAN c.

A. K. WHITE. cLocK CONTROLLED SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTA, 1910. 1,012,490, Patented-Dec. 19, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 110., WASHINGTON, n. c.

A. K. WHITE.

CLOCK CONTROLLED SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTA, 1910.

1,012,490. Patented Dec.19,1911.

3 SHEBTE-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES: llVl/ENTOI? COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR K. WHITE, OF MARYSVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

CLOCK-CONTROLLED SWITCH.

Application filed September 1, 1910.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR K. Wrrrrn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Marysville, in the county of Yuba and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and Improved Glocl:Gontrolled Switch, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to electric lighting of show windows and the like,and its object is to provide a new and improved clockcontrolled switch,designed for automatically turning on and off at predetermined times theelectric lamps used in a show window or other place, say, turning thelamps on at the beginning of dusk and turning them off at midnight, or,if desired, turning on a series of lamps at the beginning of dusk,turning off the lamps at midnight, and turning on a single lamp duringthe remainder of the night.

For the purpose mentioned, use is made of a motor for actuating a switchcontrolling the lamps, and a clock-controlled releasing device for thesaid motor and controlled by the said switch.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a front face view of the clockcontrolled switch, parts beingbroken out, and the clock dial and the hour and minute hands beingremoved; Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation of the same on the line2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, parts bein brokenout; Fig. A is a face view of the four-point switch with the casingcovering removed; Fig. 5 is a like view of a three-point switch with thecasing covering removed; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electricconnection between the four-point switch shown in Fig. 4 and theelectric lamps in the show window; and Fig. 7 is a similar view of theelectric connection between the three-point switch shown in Fig. 5 andthe electric lamps in the show window.

On a suitably constructed frame A are mounted the spring motors B and C,of which the spring motor B forms part of an ordinary clock mechanismhaving the hour hand D and the minute hand E mounted on the hour handsleeve D and minute hand shaft E, respectively, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Serial No. 579,976.

The spring motor C is provided with a gear wheel C in mesh with a gearwheel F employed' for turning the contact arm G of a four or three-pointswitch G, as indicated in Figs. 1, 6 and 5, 7, respectively, the switchG being mounted on the frame A, as shown in the drawings, and thecontact arm G of the four-point switch is adapted to successively engagesets of fixed contacts G and G as will be readily understood byreference to Figs. 4 and 6, while the contact arm G of the switch shownin Figs. 5 and 6, is adapted to engage successively the fixed contactsG*, G and the turning off contact G The gear wheel F is secured on theshaft G of the contact arm G and is connected by a spring G with thesaid contact arm, so that when the shaft G is turned it winds up thespring G until the latter overcomes the friction between the contact armG and the fixed contact G G Gr or G so that the contact arm G disengagesthis particular fixed contact and quickly moves in engagement with thenext following contact. As this construction of the switch is well knownfurther detailed description of the same is not deemed necessary. Asshown in Fig. 6, the switch points G are in the circuit for the electriclamps H, and consequently when the switch arm G engages the switchpoints G the electric lamps H are burning, but when the switch arm G isturned to engage the switch points G then the lamps H are out out. Inthe arrangement shown in Fig. 7, the shaft G of the switch arm G is inthe circuit, and the switch point G is connected with the circuit forthe electric lamps H, and the switch point G is connected with a singleelectric lamp H while the switch point Gr is to cut out all the lamps. I

In order to start and stop the motor at proper intervals for actuatingthe switch Gr so that the electric lamps H, H, H in the show window areturned on and off at the proper predetermined time, the followingarrangement is made: The dial I turns with the minute hand sleeve D ofthe clock, and is provided with teeth, preferably forty-eight in number,and the said teeth are adapted to be engaged by pins 1 projectingforwardly from spring arms I mounted to turn loosely on the sleeve D ofthe hour hand D of the clock. Thus by pressing a spring arm I rearwardlyits pin 1 can be disengaged from any one of the teeth of the dial I tobe engaged with another one on turning the arm I correspondingly andthen releasing it, so that the pin I engages the desired tooth, oppositean hour or a half hour of the dial 1, which latter is preferablyprovided with a graduation indicating twenty-four hours. For afour-point switch G, as shown in Fig. 4:, two arms I are used, but for athreepoint switch, as shown in Fig. 5, three arms I are employed. Eachof the arms I is provided with a rearwardly-extending pin 1 adapted toengage and swing upward a lever J, fulcrumed at J on the frame A, andthe said lever J is adapted to engage with its free end an arm Kprojecting from a shaft K journaled on the frame A. The free end of thearm K is connected by a link K with the upper end of a sleeve Kpreferably made of an insulating material and slidingly mounted on aswing arm K of which the sleeve forms part, the sleeve being normallyheld in a lowermost position by the action of a spring K attached at oneend to the sleeve K and at the other end to the swing arm K The free endof the sleeve K is adapted to rest on pins L of a pin wheel L, centrallysecured to the contact arm G so as to rotate with the latter, the pins Lbeing arranged in a circle placed equidistant apart, as plainlyindicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The swing arm K extends from a shaft Kjournaled in the frame A, and provided with a locking and a releasingarm N, provided at its'free end with an angular lug N, adapted to engagea notch N formed in a wheel N secured to a gear wheel C forming part ofa train of gear wheels drivefi by the motor C. As long as the lug Nengages the notch N the motor is held in a stopped position, but whenthe arm N is swung upward and the lug N disengages the notch N the wheelN and with it the motor C is released so that the motor begins to run,and in doing so turns the wheel F for imparting an intermittentlyswinging motion to the switch arm G in the direct-ion of the arrow 64.hen the several parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the sleeve Krests on the right-hand pin L of the pin wheel L, so that the swing armK is held in an inclined position. Now when the clock is running thedial I is rotated in the direction of the arrow I), and in doing so itcarries along the arms I so that a pin 1 of one of the said arms finallyengages the lever J and swings the same upward, and in doing so thelever J acts on the arm K so that the latter exerts an upward pull bythe link K on the sleeve K to move the lower end of the sleeve K out ofengagement with the right hand pin L of the pin wheel L. When this takesplace the sleeve K and its swing arm K swing to the left the locking andreleasing arm N is swung upward to disengage the wheel N and thusrelease the motor C, which now starts runnin and 1n doing so turns thegear wheel 23, F to turn the contact arm G, as previously explained.

Now presuming that the four-point switch G shown in Figs. 4c and 6 isused, and the two arms I are set in such a manner that one engages thedial I at say six oclock in the evening and the other engages the dialat twelve oclock midnight; now when the clock is running the switch armG engages the contact G at six oclock in the evening, so that thecircuit for the electric lamps H is closed, and the latter are lightedto illuminate the show window, and when midnight comes the contact arm Gis turned to disengage the fixed contact G and thus extinguish the lampsH, the contact arm then engaging the contact G Thus the electric lampsare automatically turned on in the evening and turned out at midnight.In case it is desired to keep the show window dimly illuminated aftermidnight, use is made of a switch, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, andbesides the regular lamps H for brilliantly illuminating the showwindow, an extra lamp H is used for dimly lighting the show window aftermidnight and after the lamps H are turned out. In this case the contactarm engages the fixed contact G say at six oclock in the evening, toturn on the lamps H, and at midnight the contact arm G disengages thefixed contact G to turn out the lamps l, and. the contact arm G nowmakes contact with the fixed contact G to turn on the extra lamp H whichburns during the remainder of the night, and say at six oolock the nextmorning the contact arm G disengages the fixed contact G and moves incontactwith the fixed contact G thus extinguishing the lamp H From theforegoing it will be seen that by this arrangement the show window isbrilliantly illuminated during a portion of .the night and dimly duringthe remainder of the night and the lamps are completely extinguishedduring the entire day.

When the contact arm G is turned by the action of the motor C and springG as above explained, the pin wheel L turns with the contact arm G andin doing so swings the swing arm K and its sleeve K back to inclinedposition, as shown in Fig. 1. When this takes place the arm N isreturned and the lug N reengages the notch N to hold the wheel N againstfurther turning thus stopping the motor C.

It is understood that the pin I which lifted the lever J on the furtherrotation of the dial I drops oii the free end of the said lever J toallow the latter to drop to normal position and thus permit the pinwheel L to return the swing arm K to normal inclined position, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. The lever J also controls the temporary stop mechanismfor the governor O of the spring motor C, that is, to prevent the motorfrom starting prior to full disengagement of the lever N from-the wheelN As this mechanism is of the usual kind further description is notdeemed necessary.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A clock-controlled switch, comprising a switch, a motor for actuatingthe said switch, a stopping device for the motor, a swing arm connectedwith the stopping device to swing the same, a clock controlled devicefor releasing the swing arm to cause the stopping device to move toreleasing position to allow the motor to start, and means controlled bythe movement of the switch for engaging and moving the swing arm toreset the stopping device to stop the motor.

2. A clock-controlled switch, comprising a switch having a fixed contactand a turnable contact, a spring motor connected with the said turnablecontact to intermittently start the same, a stopping device for themotor, a swing arm connected with the stopping device to swing the sameinto and out of stopping position, the said swing arm having a slidingmember, a clock-controlled device connected with the sliding member ofthe swing arm for moving the same to release the swing arm and allow thestarting of the motor, and means controlled by the movement of theturnable contact for engaging and moving the swing arm to reset thestopping device and stop the motor.

3. A clock-controlled switch comprising a switch having fixed contactsand a turnable contact arm for making contact with the said fixedcontacts, a spring motor connected with the said turnable contact arm tointermittently start the same, a clock, a series of adjustable pinsrotating with the hour hand sleeve of the said clock, a lever controlledby the said pin, a swing arm controlled by the said lever, a pin wheelrotating with the turnable contact arm and engaged by the said swingarm, a locking arm moving with the said swing arm, and a stopping andreleasing wheel for the said motor and en- 0 I gaged by the said lockingarm.

4. A clock-controlled switch, comprising a switch having fixed contactsand a turnable contact arm for making contact with the said fixedcontacts, a spring motor connected with the said turnable contact arm tointermittently start the same, a clock, a series of adjustable pinsrotating with the hour hand sleeve of the said clock, a lever controlledby the said pin, a pin wheel turning with the said turnable contact arm,a swing arm having a sliding terminal adapted to rest on the pins of thesaid pin wheel, the said sliding terminal being controlled by the saidarm, a locking arm moving with the said swing arm, and a notchedstopping and releasing wheel for the said motor and adapted to beengaged by the said locking arm to stop or release the motor.

5. The combination with a switch provided with fixed contacts and anintermittently turning contact arm for making contact with said fixedcontacts, of a gear wheel for starting the said turnable contact arm, amotor geared with the said gear wheel for driving the same, a stoppingdevice for the motor having a member mounted to swing, means controlledby the movement of the contact arm for releasably engaging said memberof the stopping device to normally hold said device in position to stopthe motor, the said device being adapted to move to position to releasethe motor when the said member is released, and a clock controlleddevice for automatically releasing the said member at predeterminedintervals.

6. A clock-controlled switch having a switch provided with fixedcontacts and an intermittently turning contact arm for making contactwith the said fixed contacts, a gear wheel for starting the saidturnable contact arm, a motor geared with the said gear wheel fordriving the same, a stopping device for the motor having a membermounted to swing, means releasably engaging said member to hold saidstopping device in position to stop the motor, a clock-controlled devicefor automatically releasing the said member at predetermined intervalsto permit the stopping device to move to release the motor, andadjustable means for setting the said clock-controlled device to aplurality of predetermined hours for each twenty-four hours.

7. The combination with a switch, and a motor for actuating the switch,of a clock, a toothed wheel rotating with the hour hand sleeve of theclock, a series of spring arms mounted to turn loosely on the saidsleeve and each having two transverse pins extending from opposite facesof the arm, one of the said pins being adapted to engage the teeth ofthe said toothed wheel to lock the wheel and arm together, a leverfulcrumed on the frame of the machine and adapted to be engaged andswung upward by the other pin on said spring arm, and a stopping devicefor the motor having a sliding releasing member actuated by said leverwhen swung upward to release the stopping device and allow the motor tostart.

8. A clock controlled switch provided with a switch having three fixedcontacts, a turnable contact arm adapted to engage successively the saidfixed contacts, a motor for actuating the said contact arm, a stoppingdevice for the motor having a locking member, a shaft mounted to turnand carrying the locking member, and a swing member extending from saidshaft for moving the locking member into and out of locking po- 1sition, a clock controlled device for releasing said swing member tocause the locking member to move out of locking position to allow themotor to start, means moving with the contact arm for engaging the saidswing member of the stopping device to reset the latter, two sets ofelectric lamps, and circuits for the same and connected with said fixedcontacts.

n1 combination, a clock controlled switch having three fixed contactsand a turnable contact arm adapted to engage successively the said fixedcontacts, a motor for turning the said contact arm, a stopping devicefor the motor having a locking member, and a swing member connected withthe locking member to move the same into and out of locking position, aclock-controlled device for releasing the said swing member to cause thelocking member to move out of locking position, a pin wheel moving withthe contact arm and controlling the swing member of the stopping deviceto reset the latter, two sets of electric lamps, and circuits for thesaid lamps and connected with the said fixed contacts.

10. The combination with a switch, of a motor for actuating the saidswitch, a clock, a. stopping device for the motor, an arm mounted toswing and connected with the stopping device to move the same into andout of stopping position, the said arm having a member controlled fromthe clock to release the stopping device to allow the motor to start,and means moving with the switch for engaging said movable member of theswing arm to move the latter to reset the stopping device to stop themotor.

11. The combination wit-h a switch, of a motor for actuating the switch,a stopping device for the motor, an arm mounted to swing and connectedwith said stopping device to swing the same into and out of stoppingposition, and means controlled by the movement of the switch for movingsaid swing arm in one direction to move the stopping device intoposition to stop the motor, the said swing arm when released from saidmeans being adapted to swing by gravity in the other direction to movethe stopping device into releasing position, and a clock controlleddevice for releasing said swing arm.

12. The combination with a switch, of a motor for actuating the switch,a stopping device for the motor, an arm mounted to swing and having aspring-pressed sliding member, the said arm being connected with thestopping. device and adapted when swung in one direction to move thestopping device to release the motor, and when swung in the otherdirection to move the stopping.

device to stop the motor, a series of stops moving with the switch andsuccessively engaging the sliding member of the swing arm to move thearm in the direction to stop the motor, and a clock-controlled devicefor moving said sliding member of the swing arm to release the same fromsaid stop, the said swing arm when released from one stop moving bygravity into engagement with the next stop and actuating the stoppingdevice to release the motor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR K. WHITE.

lVitnesses PETER ENGEL, FRANK LANE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

